Method of constructing stub axle car bodies



5 Sheets-Sheet' 1 Filed Nov.. 5, l942 H. H.y PANCAKE ETAL METHOD' OF CONTSTR'UCTING STUB AXLE CAR BODIES March I8', 1947.!

u l Il March 18, 1947. H. H.. PANCAKE ET AL '2,417,779

A METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING STUB AXLE CAR BODIES Filed Nov.. 5, 1942 HERMA/v 'NVE /I/fE L 620/; ATTORNEY" H COL MHA! GSM/ TH March 18, 15547. H. H. PANCAKE ETAI. 2,417,79 l

METHOD oF coNsTRUcTNesTUB AXLE ma BODIES Filed Nov. 5, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 NVENTORS ATTORNEY 5 sheets-s heet `4 INVENTORS HERMA/VHPINCKE Co/ M/v GSM TH ATTORNEY H. H. PANCAKE Er AL Filed Nov. 5, 1942 MVAWNNMW MW .METHOD 0F CONSTRUCTING STUBAXLE CAR BODIES Mar@ 1s, 1947.

March 1s, 1947.

H.' H'. PANCAKE Er Al. 2,417,779

METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING STUB AXLE CAR BODIES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 5, 1942 Patented Mar. 18, 1947 METHOD F CONSTRUCTING S'IUB AXLE CAR BODIES Herman H. Pancake and Coleman G. Smith, Huntington, W. Va., assignors to American Car and Foundry Company New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New `lersey Application November 5, 1942, Serial No. 464,604

Claims. l

rhis invention relates in general to the method of constructing car bodies and in particular to the construction of stub axle car bodies of mine or industrial type.

In the past all stub axle car bodies have been constructed by rigidly attaching all car parts together, after which the journal boxes were at tached; in other words. the journal boxes were iorced to their approximately true positions by attaching them to the rigid car body. Any inaccuracies of construction or builtein strains would throw the journal boxes and accordingly the wheels and axles out of alignment, resulting in cars which could not operate properly and would frequently become derailed. It is an object, therefore, of the present invention to provide special jigs for holding the journal boxes rigidly in position while constructing the car body around the journal boxes, thereby eliminating built-in strains.

A further object of the invention is the provision of special jigs and clamping devices by means of which a car body of the stub axle type may be rapidly built with the journal box axes parallel and substantially perpendicular to the center line of the car.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a method of constructing cars of the stub axle type by attaching adjacent car parts to the journal boxes and subsequently at taching the remainder of the car parts in order that all built-in strains may be eliminated.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art from a study of the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the first jig with the central car part in position thereon but partially broken away to better disclose the jig construction Fig. 2 is a Iside elevational View of the jig and central car part mounted thereon;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the second jig used in assembly of the car;

Fig. 4 is an end view of the second jig with the central car part clamped thereon;

Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken substantially on line 5 5 of Fig. 1l;

Fig. 6 is an end view of the second jig with the completed car body held in position thereon, and

Fig.- 7 is a side view of the jig with the coniu pleted car mounted thereon.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the car is generally constructed of two main parts, namely, the central frame which is constructed on the jig of Figs. l and 2 and the remainder of the car which is added to the central part on the jig of Figs. 3 to 7 inclusive. The rst jig, as shown in Figs. l and 2, is constructed of side and end angles 2 and e respectively, rigidly secured together in true rectangular form. The side angles are additionally joined by means of a cross angle 6 to which is attached upstandin@ pins 8. Adjacent each corner of the angle frame uprights l0 are securely fastened. These upriglits are spaced apart longitudinally of the jig a distance equal to the wheel base of the car to be constructed and transversely of the jig a distance determined by the track gauge of the car to be built. The upH per ends i3 of the uprights are rounded so as to exactly fit the inner journal boxes lll of the car. It will be seen that the inner journal boxes are formed with the curved axle receiving portion I6 merging into vertically extending sides i8, permitting the stub axle (not shown) to drop relative to the journal box when in service. The journal box is additionally formed with attaching iianges El! adapted to be secured to the angular form center sill 22 by any suitable means such as rivets le. The central part of the car body, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is built up of the aforesaid center sills 22 and end structure 2t and central floor portion 28. The central iioor portion is attached to the center 'sills by rivets or other means Se, while the end structures are attached to the center sills by means of rivets or other means 32. Openings 313 are formed in the central floor portion and adapted. to t over the upright pins S in order to steady the central floor and hold it with its center line substantially in alignment with the center line of the jig. In constructing this central part of the car the inner journal boxes are placed upon the uprights lll, after winch the center sills and center iloor are lowered into position with the pins 8 holding the floor in proper position, then the rivets 24 are driven, thereby looking the journal boxes t-o the center sills and central floor. Following this operation certain of the rivets 32 fastening the end structure to the center sills are driven, then all openings not in alignment are roamed and the remainder of the rivets 39 and 32 driven, thereby rigidly joining together the component Darts forming the centralcar fra-ine. It `will be obvious, of course, that the center sills may be lowered into position before or after the central floor is lowered or that the end structures can be partially attached to the center sills prior to lowering the frame into psition on the jig, but in any case the inner journal boxes are held in exact parallel alignment and their axes substantially perpendicular to the center line of the car by means of uprights I8. These journal boxes will be held in exact position and not subject to any strains in the frame since they are rst attached to the frame parts and then the remainder of the frame parts attached, with any misalignment being taken care of by reaming, etc. The rigidly attached central frame can now be lifted from the rst jig with the perfect assurance that the journal boxes are in proper position and with their axes parallel and substantially perpendicular to the center line of the car frame.

The completed central car part can now be lowered into position on the second jig, shown in Figs. 3 to 'l inclusive. This second jig is constructed with a table top 4G adapted to receive assembly tools such as rivet guns, etc. This table top is mounted on a framework 42 carried on axles A by wheels W and adapted to transport the entire jig along the assembly track. As clearly shown in Fig. 3, the table top is provided with a plurality of longitudinally and transversely arranged rows of holes M adapted to receive bolts or other means d8 by means of which standards 48 may be clamped to the table top in a plurality of desired positions, the positions being chosen in accordance with the track gauge and wheel base of the car to be constructed on the jig. Each upright or standard 48 is of extremely rigid construction and has attached thereto intermediate its height angles 5S which carry opstanding ears 52. These upstanding ears are pierced to receive pins 54 pivotaily mounting levers 56. As further shown by the drawings a lever 5E is located on each side of the upright or standard B8, with the inner lever adapted to lock the inner l journal box and the outer lever adapted to lock the outer journal box of the car. Each of the levers, as clearly shown7 has pivo'tally connected to one end thereof a swinging dog 53, having a tooth or projection E@ adapted to be engaged in the axle retaining hole 62 of the journal box. The remote or free end 0f each lever 56 carries a bearing pad 64 adapted to be engaged by a bolt B6 having a curved end or operating handle 68. The bolt is moved vertically by its threaded engagement with a nut 'l0 secured to the angle 50. The upper end of each of the standards has rigidly secured thereto, as by means of bolts l2, a dummy axle 14. The ends of the dummy axles overhang the sides of the standard and are positioned above the locking levers '56 previously referred to.

After the central car body part has been assembled upon jig one, it is lowered into position upon the second jig with the inner journal boxes resting upon the inner ends of the dummy stub axles 14. The inner locking dogs are then swung so as to permit fingers B0 to t within holes 62 of the journal box, after which the bolts E6 are operated to rock the levers et and pull the journal boxes into tight engagement upon the inner ends of the dummy stub axles. The parts will then be in the position shown by Figs. l and 5. After the central part has been clamped upon the dummy axles, the outer journal boxes 8B are placed in position upon the outer ends of the dummy stub axles and locked in position by operation of the outer locking dogs 58 and levers 56. With the outer journal boxes securely locked in position, the side sills 82 are brought into position and securely attached to the outer journal boxes. The side oor portions 84 are then lowered into position and attached to the side sills, after which the end walls 86 and side walls 88 are placed in position and held in proper position by tting bolts or other means Se. With the parts held by the tting bolts all rivets are driven to hold the parts in rigid relation, it, of course, being understood that any holes which do not align are reamed so as to receive the rivets without straining the structure. The fitting bolts may then be removed and the remaining rivets driven, thereby completing the car body.

As described, it will be seen that a rst inexpensive jig of the type shown by Figs. l and 2 is constructed for each car having a diierent wheel base and track gauge, but that the second jig shown b-y Fig. 3 may be modied to accommodate diierent track gauge and wheel base cars by loosening bolts 46 and attaching the standards 48 in the proper holes 134 of the table like top 40. While the car has been described as constructed on two jigs, it will be obvious that under certain shop conditions it will be possible to wholly construct the car on the jig shown by Figs. 3 to 'l inclusive. The procedure in securing the parts together, however, will be the same as that 'described. In other words, the entire car is built around the journal boxes which are rmly held in position with their axes either parallel or in alignment and substantially perpendicular to the center line of the car. All component parts of the car arev attached'in sequence to the journal boxes and to each other, with all attachments made so as to relieve as'much as possible the car structure of built-in strains. Further, it will be seen that the car is built with its entire weight supported on the journal boxes and any normal deflections will be incorporated into the car structure and there will be no deflections of the car body when it is set on its wheels.

While the method of constructing the car has been described more or less in detail, it will be obvious that various slight modifications in the steps of the method may be made without dee parting from the scope of the appended claims dening my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. The herein described method of assembling car bodies of the stub axle type having a plurality of pairs of journal boxes with each pair consisting of inner and outer journal boxes supported on a single axle carried by a wheel located between the journal boxes, which comprises arranging the inner journal boxes on a first jig with the journal box axes perpendicular to the longitudinal center line of the jig, attaching the car center sills to the inner journal boxes and then attaching the end structures and central floor to the center sills to form a rigid central frame, removing the central frame from the rst jig, supporting the frame by'means of the inner journal boxes resting on dummy stub axles of a second jig, placing the outer journal boxes on the dummy stub axles, attaching the side sills to the outer journal boxes and then attaching the side floor portions and walls whereby the car is completed while supported at the same points as utilized during service.

2. The herein described method of assembling car bodies of the stub axle type having a plurality of pairs of journal boxes with each pair consisting of inner andv outer journal boxes'supported on a single axle carried by a wheel l0- cated between the journal boxes, which comprises arranging the inner journal boxes on a iirst jig with the journal box axes perpendicular to the longitudinal center line of the jig, attaching the car center sills to the inner journal boxes and then attaching the end structures and central floor to the center sills to form a rigid central frame, holding the outer journal boxes with their axes in aiignment with the axes of the inner journal boxes, attaching the side iioor portions to the outer journal boxes and central frame, and then attaching the side and end walls to complete the car body and rigidly hold the journal boxes in proper alignment.

3. The herein described method of assembling car bodies of the stub axle type having a plurality of pairs of journal boxes with each pair consisting of inner and outer journal boxes supported on a single axle carried by a wheel located between the journal boxes, which comprises holding the inner journal boxes on a rst jig with the axes of the boxes perpendicular to the longitudinal center line of the jig, attaching the central load carrying frame parts to the inner journal boxes and to each other while supported solely on the inner journal boxes to form a rigid central car frame, removing the central frame from the first jig, supporting the central frame by means of the inner journal boxes resting on dummy stub axles of a second jig, plalg the outer journal boxes on the dummy stub axles, clamping the boxes onto the dummy axles, attaching the side load retaining parts to the outer journal boxes and to each other and to the central frame while supported solely upon the outer journal boxes to complete the car body and rigidly hold the journal boxes in proper alignment.

4. The herein described method of assembling car bodies of the stub axle type having a plurality of pairs of journal boxes with each pair consisting of inner and outer journal boxes supported on a single axle carried by a wheel located between the journal boxes, Which comprises holding the inner journal boxes with their axes parallel While securing the central load carrying frame parts to the inner journal boxes and then to each other while supported solely on the inner journal boxes to form a rigid central car frame, holding the outer journal boxes with their axes parallel and in alignment with the axes of the inner journal boxes while securing the side load carrying frame parts to the outer journal boxes and then to each other and to the central car frame to thereby complete the car body while supported at the same points as it will be during service.

5. The herein described method of assembling riveted car bodies of the stub axle type having a plurality of pairs of journal boxes with each pail` consisting of inner and outer journal boxes supported on a single axle carried by a wheel located between the journal boxes, which comprises fabricating all car parts and placing rivet holes therein, placing and holding the inner and outer journal boxes with their axes parallel and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal center line of the car, then attaching the vcar body parts that are adjacent to the journal boxes on to the boxes, nextl sequentially placing the remainder of the car body parts in position,

'reaming all rivet holes not in alignment and finally riveting the car parts together to complete the car body Without built in strains thereby holding the journal boxes in proper alignment.

HERMAN H. PANCAKE. COLEMAN G. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the `iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

